The White Queen
by MysteriousMew
Summary: Lisanna did not enter the Country of Clover of her free will, nor was she dragged or kidnapped by a white rabbit. She had died and woke up in a room in confusion and fear. Now, like all of those with faces, she has a role to play and a duty to uphold. She is everything Vilvadi is not: The White Queen of Peace. Can she do it? Or will she rebel? BorisxOC fanfic Heart no Kuni no Alice
1. Prologue - We Are Bullet Proof

**The White Queen**

**Prologue:**

**We Are Bullet Proof**

No one ever feels more alive in their life than when they are about to die or are dying. In those rare moments, you often think about all of things you could've done, should've said, things you wish you didn't do and so on.

Then comes thoughts of your family, wishing you could see them one more time. Tell them how much you love them…

And then the pain zips through you, leaving no room for other thoughts as you slowly, but surely, grow unconscious.

And then you drift…

And then you fall…

**oOo**

_Screams erupted throughout the three star Italian restaurant as shots from guns echoed. Immediately, Lisanna was pushed onto the ground, her body being covered by her personal bodyguard._

"_Stay down, Lisanna," Adam, her bodyguard ordered quietly, his mouth by her ear as Lisanna's eyes searched her friends. She found her friend Katherine covering her mouth with her hands, shaking slightly as she hid underneath the table with her._

"_Where is Lisanna Halliwell?" a deep, male voice boomed across the restaurant, immediately gaining silence. Lisanna flinched at her name and knew once again, it was an attempted kidnap in order to harass her father._

_She glanced at Adam who shook his head at her, firm eyes turning to the men in pale white, theatre masks._

"_Lisanna Halliwell, if you don't reveal yourself in one minute," the voice called as a mother cried out, along with a child screaming and crying in terror. The very sound made the British Prime Minister's daughter clench her jaw. "This innocent child will die and it will be on your hands."_

"_Don't even think about it," Adam threatened her, glaring at her in authority. He knew what she was thinking and hated the idea before it even left her lips._

"_That child will die unless I do something," Lisanna hissed back at him, moving a strand of her burgundy hair behind her ear. When he opened his mouth, she placed a hand on his arm. "I won't stand by and let the people my father works hard to serve die. Not on my watch."_

_Before the bodyguard could protest, Lisanna stood up and glared at the terrorists, her chin held high. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, her fists clenched at her sides as she walked around her table and towards them._

"_Let her go, I'm the one you clearly want," Lisanna spat out, her eyes never leaving the cold, brown ones behind the mask. The child in his arms, a seven year old little girl with honey blonde hair, squirmed in his arms, crying out for her mother._

"_It's nice to know you care so much about the people, Miss Halliwell," he stated mockingly, releasing the girl who bolted for her mother's arms. "Unlike your father."_

"_My father is fighting the corruption within the government," Lisanna retorted back, moving her hands on to her hips. She knew Adam would have contacted the rest of the bodyguards and police. All she had to do was stall until they had arrived. "Unlike you who threatened the innocent life of a child. And all for what?"_

_He pointed a semi-automatic hand gun at her. "To send a message."_

_She never got the time to process what he had meant when her pulled the trigger, shooting her in the chest. Her mind had yet to process what occurred as she fell to the ground, pain storming throughout her chest._

_Lisanna gasped for air, eyes widened as she finally registered what happened. She had been shot._

_Her mind was clouded, unable to properly hear the voices around her as her vision blurred, warm liquid swimming down her body. Lisanna lightly touched it, finding it red liquid._

_Her __**blood**__._

_Adam's face appeared in her blurred vision, a look of panic and desperation painted onto his face. His mouth moved but she couldn't hear the words he spoke._

I have no regrets, _Lisanna thought, slowly closing her eyes._

**oOo**

Her eyes snapped open as she sat up, gasping for air. The back of her neck was covered in cold sweat and she pressed her hand against her chest, finding no wound what so ever. No blood….no pain…

Only confusion…

* * *

**Song: We Are Bullet Proof...by some K-Pop band I cannot for the life of me remember.**

_**Hey guys, this is the Heart no Kuni no Alice fanfic I got requested to do and have been wanting to do for a long time. If you're not familiar with this great manga and otome game, go google it. It honestly is one of the best Alice in Wonderland interpretations I have seen and had the joy of reading.**_

_**So this is the prologue of a BorisxOC fic and I have always wondered what would happen if the White Queen position from Tim Burton's Alice came into play…..so I did a thing.**_


	2. Chapter 1 - Listen

**Chapter One:**

**Listen**

_Where…am I?_ was the first thought that ran through the young adult's mind, her eyes scanning the room for any hint or clue. It was a simple, yet elegant room.

The walls were painted in a pearl white colour and the room itself was fairly big. A fireplace was alit on her left, light grey tiles surrounding it and contrasted against the white wall around it. Next to the fireplace, was a light grey bookshelf filled with many different coloured books and covers.

Not too far away from the bookshelf was a large, light brown wooden coffee table with a light grey sofa behind it. Behind the sofa was a pair of glass doors that led to a small, marble balcony with cream coloured, floor length curtains pushed to the sides to reveal the doors.

Hesitantly, Lisanna slid off of the bed and quickly steadied herself. Her knees buckled for a moment before she faltered towards the doors. Grasping the cool, golden handles in both hands, she opened the doors and took a step out.

Instantly, warm, fresh air greeted her as a small breeze blew past and pressed the white, silk, floor length night gown against her body.

_Beautiful, _Lisanna was in awe at the magnificent sight before her. Surrounding what seemed to be a tower she was in was a town below, bustling with people. Further away was a giant forest filled with many trees and on the right of the edge of the forest was a castle in the distance.

"I see you are awake, Your Majesty."

Lisanna's head whipped around, finding a faceless woman in a traditional maid outfit with her black hair in a high bun.

"Where am I?" Lisanna swallowed the lump in her throat, refusing to take a step towards this strange woman. It wasn't the fact that she was faceless that bothered her, although that itself was weird, but at the title she was called.

"In the Tower of Clover, my lady."

"And where is the Tower of Clover located exactly?"

"In the Country of Clover."

Lisanna let out a sigh of frustration. "Yes, but where exactly _is_ this place? It's not a place on any map I remember," she interrogated the maid who just frowned slightly.

"Master Nightmare will answer all of your questions if you will follow me," she bowed politely, successfully dodging the question as she gestured for Lisanna to follow her out the door.

Lisanna glanced back at scenery before turning back to the maid, mincing after the maid as they left the bedroom. She had escorted the confused young woman down a series of long hallways and flights of staircases until arriving at a pair of oak wood doors at the end of a long hallway.

"Master Nightmare will see you," another maid bowed to her as the doors opened.

Lisanna swallowed and quietly plodded into the massive, office. There were bookshelves surrounding the room, along with a black couch and a few desks with stacks upon stacks of paper work on top.

The doors closed behind her and she glanced back at them uneasily.

"Don't worry," a voice called, drawing her attention to the _now_ occupied seat at the larger desk. "You have nothing to fear in my domain."

"Who are you?" Lisanna demanded, jumping straight to the point.

"I am Nightmare Gottschalk," the pale skinned man with slightly long jet black hair answered. His right eye was covered by a patch as he watched her with interest. "An incubus who creates nightmares and leader of the Country of Clover."

Lisanna tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I have never heard of a country called Clover."

"That is because is it not a part of your old world, but of Wonderland," Nightmare informed her as her eyes darted to the man standing behind him. "This is Gray Ringmarc, my subordinate."

The man smiled at her politely, his stance straight and on guard. As if ready to stop something or someone.

Lisanna pulled her eyes away from Gray and back onto Nightmare. "Wonderland doesn't exist. It's nothing but a story, a child's fairy tale."

Nightmare chuckled, smirking at her in amusement. "I can assure you, Lisanna," she flinched at his use of her name. "That this is no fairy tale. This is reality."

An unlady-like snort came from her as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Right and I expect Alice to run through those doors any minute now," she retorted while Nightmare continued to look at her as if she were hired entertainment.

"Why am I here?" she questioned the incubus. _I could've sworn I had died….that I was shot…_

"You were indeed shot," Nightmare answered, making it painfully aware that her thoughts could be heard by the pale man. Her gaze hardened when she came to this conclusion and she began reciting pointless information, like counting in French. Nightmare raised a brow, reading her thoughts as she returned it with a defiant look. "However, you were reborn and brought into this world to become a Role Holder."

"Your role in this world is to be the White Queen of Peace here in the Country of Clover. The game found you fit to fill the forgotten role and that is why you were brought here. Not as a foreigner, but as a citizen of this land."

Lisanna paused her counting and frowned, taking in the information given to her. Slowly, she lifted her hand and pinched her arm, the pain assuring her it wasn't some kind of drugged-induced dream.

"Okay, so I am _not _dreaming…" she trailed off, her eyes meeting Nightmare's as realisation dawned on her. "I had to die…in order to be here?"

He nodded and she felt ill to the stomach, nausea rolling over in her stomach as Lisanna covered her mouth with her hand. The feeling of wanting to vomit surfaced as she gagged slightly.

"Take me back to my room," Lisanna ordered shakily. When no one made a move, she swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "Take me back now!"

"Of course," Gray marched over towards her, holding her small frame gently in his hands as he led her back to her room. The man had tried to reassure her that everything would be fine but she heard nothing. All could she think was:

_I had died…._

_I will never see my family again…_

_I won't ever get to say goodbye…_

**oOo**

_**The Next Morning….**_

After of restless night of _trying _to sleep, Lisanna sat up in her bed and just stared at the cream carpet. Her body was fresh out of tears, having cried to at least an hour straight.

Her mouth tasted bitter, having thrown up in her bathroom connected to her room at least twice throughout the night and break of dawn. Now, Lisanna was just exhausted.

_I need to write this down; _she thought weakly, standing up and went to the door just a few light knocks greeted her. Frowning, the young woman opened the door and found the same maid from yesterday standing in the hallway with a smooth, metal black pen in one hand and paper in the other.

"Here is some paper, my lady," the maid held out the items and Lisanna took them, a small smile on her face. "Ah, you finally smiled."

This caused her to frown slightly before sighing. "How can I smile when everything I know is gone?" she murmured, heading towards the sofa and coffee table.

"May I offer an ear, my lady?" she said hesitantly at the door and Lisanna looked at her, about to sit down. "Speaking about it might help."

"Do as you wish," Lisanna shrugged her shoulders, sitting down on the soft sofa and placed the paper on the coffee table, grasping the pen in her right hand. She began writing down her name and family background.

"You sounded very distressed yesterday, my lady. Might I ask why?"

Lisanna paused as she reached her grandmother's name. "Any normal person would be distressed and even hysterical in this situation. I found out I had _died_ and somehow came here."

"And how does that make you feel?"

_The attackers entered the restaurant and began demanding for me—_ Lisanna recounted onto the paper while answering, "Like a pawn on a chess board."

She felt the sofa dip down slightly as the maid sat next to her, a little distance between them. Lisanna ignored it and continued writing down the scenario that had led to her death.

"How so?" she asked her gently and Lisanna stopped her writing in mid-sentence. Instead, she put down the pen and turned to face the maid who was waiting for her answer.

"Nightmare said I am now something called a Role Holder, correct?" Lisanna clarified and the maid nodded. "Someone had pre-determined my life for me. They had decided to take away everything and everyone I loved and throw me into a game!"

She stood up, pointing to the balcony as her fist clenched at her side. "I _died_ in my world and was thrown into here! I didn't decide this! I never wanted this! I wanted to continue going to university! Finish my degree and get a job. Help make Britain a better place. I wanted to find a man, get married and have kids."

Tears streamed down her face as she began shouting out her frustrations. "I never asked to become some forgotten queen!"

The maid, to her credit, never spoke as she continued her tirade until she was quiet for a few moments, tears freely running down her cheeks.

Her bottom lip trembled. "And the worst part of it? I never got to say goodbye," Lisanna said in a quiet, shaky voice. "I'll never get to see my family again, laugh with them, cry with them, fight with them or even say 'I love you' to them ever again."

The maid contemplated for a moment before standing up, placing a warm hand on the young woman's shoulder. Lisanna stared at her, wondering what she was up to.

"I believe your sacrifice will never be forgotten," she said calmly. "But never forget, you were chosen for a reason. The Country of Clover is your home now…you must accept this."

No words or retort could form on her tongue as Lisanna just watched her. Taking her silence as an answer, the maid bowed politely before excusing herself and heading towards the door.

"I will bring you breakfast in a moment, my lady," she informed her before leaving the Role Holder's bedroom. Frustrated, Lisanna threw the pen away from her as if burnt her.

"Dammit," she cursed, sitting back on the sofa with her shoulders slumped, her head hanging low.

**oOo**

_**Two Time Cycles Later…**_

_This place is so weird, _Lisanna sighed, ambling down the hallway as it suddenly became night. When it had become evening earlier out of nowhere, one of the servants explained to her the way time works here in Wonderland.

It wasn't all bad though. At least the job came with respect, awe, and heaps of dresses.

The current dress she wore was a floor length, white, sleeveless, turtle neck dress with golden floral patterns running all around it. The inner layer was made of silk whilst the outside was of see through material. One of the maids had braided a part of her hair to fashion a make-shift head band, leaving the rest of her curly locks out.

The hallway was empty; the only sound heard was coming from her plain white heels as she continued her wander. A black door caught her eye and she halted mid-step.

Turning her attention onto the door, Lisanna found herself curious and opened it.

Inside was another huge library, much like the main one she had encountered earlier. Only, this one possesses a grand piano within it. The young woman almost smiled at the familiar site of her favourite instrument, immediately walking over and taking a seat.

A feeling of nostalgia washed over her as she opened the case, her fingers lightly touching the cold, white keys. Slowly, she began playing a song that had been engraved into her mind: 'Listen' by Beyoncé.

"_Listen, to the song here in my heart,"_ she began to sing softly, skipping right to her favourite part, the last chorus. "_A melody I start but I will complete! Oh! Now I'm done believing you...you don't know what I'm feeling. I'm more than what you made of me. I followed the voice you think gave to me! But now I gotta find my own…my own…."_

She exhaled, feeling a bit better as someone slowly clapped. Finding it was Nightmare who was clapping, Lisanna narrowed her eyes at the incubus.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop on someone," Lisanna informed him, standing up as he closed the door.

"I didn't eavesdrop if you left the door open," Nightmare countered, walking over and leaning against the piano. "You play beautifully."

"Thanks…I guess that's one thing the game didn't decide for me," she muttered bitterly, her fingers tracing the white D key.

"You'll never move on if you keep holding onto the past," Nightmare told her, watching her with indifference. A small chuckle escaped lips, thinking of something amusing. "At least you weren't brought here by Peter White. You should count yourself lucky."

"Yes, because luck is _really_ on my side at this point," Lisanna replied, sarcasm thick in her voice as the door slammed open, revealing an angry Gray. His eyes narrowed at Nightmare as the subordinate stormed over and snatched the incubus's collar before Nightmare could escape.

"Lord Nightmare, you must stop abandoning your work," Gray growled in annoyance, dragging the squirming Nightmare with him.

"But Gray!" Nightmare whined, reminding Lisanna of a five year old who refused to take a bath or go to bed. "I was helping Lisanna! That's more important than the torture you put me through!"

"It piles up because you keep running away from your duties!"

Lisanna chuckled slightly, watching the amusing scene as Gray dragged Nightmare out of the room and back to the leader of Clover Country's office. She turned her attention back onto to the piano keys, absently tracing them.

_You'll never move on if you keep holding onto the past…_

_There's no point on dwelling on something I cannot change. I should be thankful that I'm alive at all, _she sighed, pulling the case back down and covering the piano keys.

* * *

**Song: Listen by Beyonce **

**_**So here's the first chapter of this ongoing series. As you can see, it's not all fun and games upon arriving in Wonderland. Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)**_**


	3. Chapter 2 - Itsuka no, Ikutsuka no Kimi

**Chapter Two:**

**Itsuka no, Ikutsuka no Kimi to no Sekai**

_**A Week Later…**_

It had been a week of getting used to the life she was forced to adapt to. Lisanna had learnt the layout of the entire tower, spent some time with Gray as Nightmare suffered and did his duty. Now, she wanted to leave the tower and explore the town below and the forest.

"I'm going stir crazy in here," Lisanna argued with the Lizard who seemed reluctant to let her out of his sight. "Besides, you wanted me to become used to this place. I can't exactly do that by staring out from my balcony."

Gray crossed his arms over his chest, his lips in a thin line as he stared at for a few moments. Lisanna just stared back with a pleading look in her eyes.

The two of them had grown close during her stay in the Tower of Clover, having bonded over Gray's difficult job of keeping Nightmare in line and not running away. It had gotten to the point of Lisanna informing the lizard of the incubus's location had she seen him.

This annoyed Nightmare greatly but the young woman always made it up to him by cooking every now and then.

"You may go, as long as someone accompanies you," Gray finally decided, giving her conditions. Lisanna found this ironic.

"No one would ever think I'm a queen with these restrictions being forced onto me," she commented, smirking slightly as he sighed, giving her a tired look.

"That is because you are still not used to this land and I'm afraid you'll be….vulnerable without a proper escort," he explained to her but Lisanna frowned. Something in the back of her mind was telling her Gray wasn't telling her everything.

Ignoring the feeling, making a mental note to interrogate him later, Lisanna just nodded and placed a hand on her hip. "Why don't you escort me then?"

Gray widened his eyes at her, completely caught off guard by her suggestion and she rolled her eyes.

"You need a break from babysitting Nightmare," Lisanna pointed out to the subordinate who indeed, looking a little stressed. "Nightmare needs a break too. I've seen the work piling up and he does it…eventually."

A pair of pale arms wrapped themselves around her waist and her back was pressed against something hard. Lisanna looked up and found an excited Nightmare practically beaming at the idea.

"Lord Nightmare," Gray bowed his head to the incubus.

"Yes, Gray! Go with Lisanna and show her the town and the forest. She needs to socialise and become familiar with places other than the tower," Nightmare ordered, giving a sweet smile. "After all, you could use a break and I worry about your health."

Lisanna and Gray exchanged a look, not believing his 'sincerity' one bit but didn't question it.

Sighing in defeat, Gray nodded. "Let's go then," he said, walking ahead. Lisanna couldn't hide the smile on her face as she squirmed out of Nightmare's arms and ran after the lizard.

**oOo**

She could feel their stares, despite her effort to ignore them. After all, Lisanna was used to people staring at her. Back in her world, she was the daughter of the British Prime Minister. Here, she was supposedly the White Queen of Peace.

_I honestly don't see a change, _Lisanna thought as she and Gray walked past a shop. She saw her reflection in the window, finding no physical change in her whatsoever. _I still feel like the same old me….just a new title…_

"Is something the matter?" Gray questioned, seeing the absent look on her face as they walked.

Lisanna shook her head. "No, nothing is wrong. Just musing in my head I suppose."

"A penny for your thoughts?"

She glanced up at him, finding him still on guard and not as relaxed as she had hoped her would be. _I guess old habits are hard to change…_

"What exactly is the role of the White Queen?" Lisanna asked, curious of the role she had been forced into.

"From what Lord Nightmare has spoken, it is the monarch of the Country of Clover," he began explaining as they stopped at a café. He gestured for her to sit down as a waitress approached them. "I'll have a long black."

The waitress nodded and turned to Lisanna, her mouth opened in awe. Lisanna squirmed in her seat slightly, a little uncomfortable now.

"I'll just have a chai latte," Lisanna said and watched as she wrote down the order on her small pad before leaving them. "Why do I feel like I'm some kind of freak show people can just stare at?"

Gray chuckled at her description of the townsfolk reaction to her presence. "Give it time; they'll grow used to the role being filled again."

"Why was it forgotten in the first place?" Lisanna questioned, frowning slightly at the idea.

"I honestly have no answer to that," Gray answered apologetically as the waitress returned with their beverages. He took a long sip of his long black, seeming to unwind a little from that. "Hence why it is a mystery as to why the role is suddenly brought back and you fill it."

Lisanna raised a brow at him and Gray realised what he had said.

"No! I'm not saying that you shouldn't be it but—" Lisanna laughed at the clearly flustered lizard.

"I know what you meant, Gray," she reassured him before thinking of something. She is well aware of Nightmare's talents and Gray's abilities, as part of their roles. "Do I have any talents or powers as the White Queen?"

This seemed to stump Gray who for once was not knowledgeable about something. He frowned slightly, taking another sip of his coffee.

"My apologises, Lisanna. But I don't know much about the role," he explained to her gently. "The only two people who would know would be Gowland at the Amusement Park and the King of Hearts. They were alive, I believe, when your precursor was alive."

Hope flashed through her eyes at the idea of gaining a better understand of whom she is now and who her precursor was. "Where can I find them?"

"They are not in this country. Both of them reside in the Country of Hearts."

_Just my luck, _she sighed, taking a sip of her chai latte. The hot cinnamon flavoured milk greeted her and she did a double take. Lisanna took a couple more sips before beaming.

"This is delicious! The best chai latte I have ever tasted," she exclaimed, smiling wide at Gray who looked a little embarrassed. His cheeks were a little bit pink as he observed her quietly.

After that, the two of them spent the rest of the day wandering through the town. A few small children came up and asked Lisanna questions and she smiled at them, answering them as best as she could.

Gray had just stepped back, observing the young queen with soft eyes when something moved in the corner of his eye.

Lisanna was kneeling on the ground, chatting with the faceless children. It felt nice to get to know each of the five children surrounding her.

"Why don't you apologise first to her then?" Lisanna suggested to the little blonde girl who was pouting slightly. "It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission."

The little girl, Lucy, hesitated for a moment. "Do you think it'll work?" she asked softly and Lisanna nodded.

"You won't know unless you try," she answered before stiffening, feeling tension in the air. Standing up, Lisanna looked towards Gray who looked on edge as well.

It all happened so fast.

There was a gun shot, followed by Gray quickly shielding her behind him as he reflected the bullet with his small dagger. Lisanna jumped in shock before ushering the children behind her as they held onto the back of her white skirt.

"Gray what's going on?" Lisanna demanded as suddenly, they were surrounded by faceless men and women in suits, each of them holding guns. She covered her mouth, pulling the children closer to her body in an effort to comfort them.

"So this is the new Role Holder," the man with the AK-47 rifle in his hand sneered in disgust. "Another whore queen."

Lisanna swallowed the lump in her throat, lifting her chin high. Her main concern was the safety of the children. She had to get them out of harm's way.

"Do what you like with me, but let the children go," Lisanna bargained with him, glaring coldly. "They are innocent in this."

His lips formed a thin, unamused line before gesturing for them to go. The children glanced up at Lisanna for help and she smiled warmly at them.

"Go on, go back home," she told them as they ran out of the square. Once they were gone, the faceless group began firing at them with their various range of arsenal weaponry. Lisanna lifted her arms in cross shape, in an attempt to shield herself and squeezed her eyes shut. She had expected pain….but none came to her.

All she could hear was a sound that reminded her of a basketball being bounced along the ground. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found she and Gray encased in some kind of violet coloured energy shield.

"Gray—"

"Don't stop whatever you're doing," Gray cut her off firmly as she glanced over her shoulder at his back. "Stay here."

She watched in slight horror as he disappeared from the shield. "Gray!" she shouted before noticing the members of the mob being killed one by one.

Lisanna's eyes widened as she witnessed Gray thrust his dagger through the neck of the man with the rifle. Blood poured out of his neck as he ceased firing and grasped it, collapsing onto the ground.

Her hands went straight to her mouth, causing the shield to drop. Nausea washed over her as she forced herself to look away.

"Are you hurt?" Gray asked her, walking towards her, reaching out to touch her arm but she pulled back slightly. Hurt flashed through his eyes at her reaction but she barely saw it as the bodies disappeared, leaving behind a clock.

"They….turned into clocks?" Lisanna whimpered, looking out at the many clocks appearing along the ground, covered in blood. "What's going on? People don't leave clocks behind when they die—"

"Lisanna, calm down," Gray ordered, placing his hands on her shoulders. This time she didn't flinch as her eyes locked onto his golden coloured eyes. "We're going to go back to the tower. Okay?"

Unable to speak, Lisanna nodded mutely and allowed him to escort her back to the Tower of Clover.

**oOo**

The young queen was wrapped in a warm, fluffy grey blanket with a mug of hot cocoa in her hands. It was the only thing Gray could make without burning and it gave the Swiss a run for their money in her opinion.

She was residing in her room, sitting on the sofa after being bathed and dressed in her usual white, silk nightgown and a silver cotton dressing gown over the top.

As soon as they returned, Gray handed the shell-shocked queen over to the maids who bathed her and dressed her before leaving. They had tried talking to her, but she didn't hear them. She couldn't erase the images of those dead bodies and clocks from her mind.

There was a soft knock at her bedroom door. "Lisanna, may we come in?" Gray's voice called on the other side of the door. Knowing Nightmare was probably with him, she sighed.

_Nightmare, I know you can hear me. You can come in, _she answered through her thoughts and the door opened, revealing the two other Role Holders.

"How are you feeling?" Gray asked in concern, shutting the door behind him as Nightmare stood in front of her on the other side of the coffee table.

"Numb," she answered truthfully, glancing at him. "You both have some explaining to do."

"In this world, we possess clocks as our hearts," Nightmare explained calmly as she stared at him. "When the people of this world die, only their clocks are left behind. Creatures called Afterimages collect them and deliver them to the Clock Maker, Julius Monrey in the Country of Hearts. Once he has repaired them, they take on a new form and are reborn."

Lisanna lifted her hand towards her chest, feeling a mixture of a tick from a clock and the thump of a heart.

"Your heart is slowly turning into a clock," the incubus added and she exhaled shakily. Placing the cup down, Lisanna stood up and walked over to Nightmare, placing her hand on his chest.

Underneath her fingers, was the steady rhythm of a ticking clock. She closed her eyes for a moment, withdrawing her hand away.

"I see," she whispered quietly.

* * *

_**Song: Itsuka no, Ikutsuka no Kimi to no Sekai by Fhana**_

_**So here's the next chapter and Lisanna learns more about the life and how things work around here. Enjoy :)**_


	4. Chapter 3 - Ready Or Not

**Chapter Three:**

**Ready Or Not**

_**Two Weeks Later…**_

After the incident two weeks ago, Gray had refused to allow Lisanna out of his sight for even a moment. As much as she loved Gray's presence and his friendly nature, she was suffocating. She wanted to go explore the forest, since she had been unable to do that previously. But she couldn't sneak out without Gray knowing.

She so enlisted Nightmare's help.

He was smirking at her in amusement, leaving his work as he sat at his desk. Gray had stepped out to fix a hot cocoa for Nightmare, leaving her in charge of the incubus.

"So you want me help? Why should I after all of the times you ratted me out to Gray?" Nightmare asked as Lisanna sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

She was already dressed to wander in a forest; wearing dark grey leggings with white, knee-high boots with a white, Queen Anne neck-styled puffed sleeved top. Her hair had been pulled back into a simple low bun with two thin strands curled out the front.

"Because I promise to not turn you in for the next two," she offered and he raised a brow. "Okay, four now can you help me?"

Nightmare chuckled, standing up and bounced towards her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and placed his lips closer to her ear. "Take care when you leave," he whispered quietly before disappearing out the door.

Lisanna watched where he had disappeared as a moment later, Gray entered with a tray consisting of three steaming cups of cocoa.

"Lisanna I brought you—where is Lord Nightmare?" Gray's bottom lips twitched in annoyance as she blinked.

"I went to the bathroom for a moment and he was gone," Lisanna lied smoothly, secretly thanking Nightmare for providing a distraction for her.

The lizard sighed tiredly, placing the tray down onto a nearby table and leaving the room. The young queen waited a few moments before adventuring outside of Nightmare's office and quietly leaving the tower.

As soon as she stepped out onto the pavement, Lisanna inhaled the fresh air and departed towards the forest. Passing by through the town, the attack kept resurfacing in her mind.

_Gray never told me what that was all about in the first place. Who were they anyway in the first place? _ Lisanna contemplated to herself, keeping to herself in an effort to blend in. She didn't want them coming back, especially since she had no way to protect herself.

_They seemed to really hate Role Holders. Almost bitter towards them…or I should say us now, _she corrected herself, acknowledging what she was now. _And they pulled guns out of nowhere. I understand that this world doesn't regard violence the same way I do…but it's still a little extreme._

Lisanna sighed as she arrived at the entrance of the forest. "I need to stop dwelling on things," she muttered under her breath, walking along the dirt path.

It was quiet from any human noise, only the songs of birds and other animal sounds could be heard. It was relaxing.

Lisanna inhaled the fresh air before exhaling slowly, meandering on the dirt path. The forest was better than she had expected, having constantly stared at it from her balcony. Now that she was actually here, it relaxed her a little. It made her believe she was back home.

Something caught her eye as she catches a glimpse of a tree with a door on it.

"What in the world?" Lisanna frowned, cautiously walking towards it and studying the tree carefully. It seemed bazaar; a normal looking tree had a wooden door attached to it.

_Open me…_

She froze, hearing a voice whispering to her and many more followed. All repeating the same mantra:

_Open me…_

_You know you want to…_

_I can take you to the place your heart desires…_

Her heart pounded as Lisanna covered her ears with her hands, squeezing her eyes shut. She tried to ignore the voices, but it was as if they were whispering them into her ear.

"Stop it!" she cried out, distressed when they stopped altogether. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found green eyes in her face. Lisanna swore in surprise, jumping back and finding the owner of those green eyes was a guy with pink hair.

He wore what she interpreted as punk-style clothing; pink cat ears with piercings on them caught her attention, along with the matching tail that swayed behind him.

"I didn't know there was another foreigner," he mused, eyeing her in interest before smirking at her.

Lisanna knew what a foreigner was; having the concept explained to her and Nightmare informing her there currently was a foreigner residing in the Country of Hearts.

A girl called Alice.

She had a good laugh over that.

"No, I'm not a foreigner," Lisanna informed him and his eyes widened slightly as realisation dawned on him. He took a step closer, inspecting her appearance with new eyes.

"So _you're _the new Role Holder then?" he let out a low whistle, stepping closer until they were only centimetres apart. He proceeded to sniff her neck, humming in delight as his tail twitched. "Your scent is intoxicating."

Lisanna swallowed and took a step back, frowning in disapproval. "I don't know how things are done here, but strangers typically don't sniff another stranger."

He chuckled, grinning at her. "My bad, I'm Boris Airay. And what can I call the new queen?"

"Lisanna Halliwell," she replied, bowing her head slightly in greeting before frowning slightly as a sudden thought came to her. "I had assumed Nightmare, Gray and I were the only Role Holders here in Clover."

Boris placed his hands on the back of his head, an easy-going look on his face. "According to the rules, you are."

"Rules?"

**oOo**

It had taken roughly ten minutes for the Cheshire cat to get Lisanna up to speed in terms of the game foreigners play and the rules that must be upheld by the Role Holders.

To say she was stunned was not an exaggeration.

"So the lizard never told you any of this?" Boris asked, leaning back on the base of a tree whilst she stood on her feet. She shook her head, rubbing her eyes lightly as exhaustion hit her. "Tired?"

"Something like that," Lisanna murmured, holding back the urge to yawn. "I keep dreaming of my family back home."

Boris sat up, studying her with a small frown. "Wait, you came from the same place as Alice?"

"I've never met her before, but roughly from the same world," Lisanna answered hesitantly. Truthfully, she was eager to meet this Alice and get to know the girl similar to her. Obviously they would understand and discuss the differences in the two worlds; and the fact that _everyone_ seemed to carry a gun with them.

Lisanna snuck a glance at him as Boris resumed lounging against the tree. She found him fascinating, the way his emerald eyes seemed to twinkle with mischief.

"You seem relaxed for someone currently breaking the rules," she observed, grabbing a nearby stick and crouched down, drawing random symbols and picture in the dirt.

"Technically I'm not breaking the rules," Boris oh so helpfully pointed out, watching her in interest. "You called to me. So I came."

Lisanna rolled her eyes, drawing a small beach in the dirt with the stick. "I didn't call you. I didn't even know you existed!"

"You did."

Pausing, she regards Boris with a confused look. "I would remember if I had called for you, Boris. Please don't put words in my mouth," she told him firmly before turning back to her drawing.

Just as she began drawing a sun in the corner, something warm sat stood beside her. She knew it was him, just from the scent of grass, wood and…sugar?

_He did say he lives in the Amusement Park back in the Country of Hearts; _she reminded herself as he reached out and lightly grazed his fingers over the hand holding the stick.

Immediately, her eyes shot up to meet his, blue meeting green as he stared into her.

"I wouldn't have been able to cross the space without your help. Your power drew me here when you were in danger of being lost," Boris said quietly, in a low voice. Lisanna's eyebrows knitted in confusion as he grasped her elbow and helped her to her feet. "I _felt _it; the shimmer of fear and it lead me here."

She swallowed the lump in her throat, glancing down at her feet. "I suppose I should thank you then…for saving me."

Boris's eyes darkened slightly as he leaned in and licked her cheek gently. "Don't cry," he murmured, lapping up the tears that fell from her eyes.

Lisanna hadn't realised she was crying until that moment and took a step back, wiping away the rest of the tears. "I'm sorry…"

Boris reached out and stroked her hair, trying to offer some form of comfort and she gave him a small smile in appreciation before sighing.

"I should head back before Gray has a heart attack," Lisanna's shoulders slumped in dejection at the idea of once again being kept in the tower.

"You don't carry a gun, do you?" Boris crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at her as she gave him a look of disapproval.

"Of course I don't! Why in god's name would I carry something that encourages violence?!" she exclaimed at the cat for even suggesting something like that.

Boris sighed tiredly, heading to a door attached to a nearby tree. He held onto the handle before releasing it and turning to her. "There, I connected this door to one inside the Tower of Clover. That is where you are staying, right?"

She nodded, stepping closer and opening the door, finding it led to one of the libraries inside of the tower. Lisanna was gobsmacked, closing the door, opening it again before walking around the tree and inspecting it.

"How….How did you do that?" she asked Boris, shaking her head in disbelief, eyes widened. "This isn't physically possible! The physics behind it is remarkable!"

Boris rubbed his nose with his finger, standing up straighter as he felt proud of what he had accomplished. "This is my power as the Cheshire cat."

Her eyes flickered towards his, sparkling with excitement. "Power?"

He nodded, chest puffing up in pride. "We're the best kind of cats. Super capable and fine as hell. We can cut up pockets of space and stick 'em back together."

"You're amazing, Boris," Lisanna laughed, grinning widely at him as his tail flickered at her words. "Truly one of a kind."

"Lisanna," Boris trailed off before pulling her close and rubbing his cheek against hers, purring.

"Boris! Stop! That tickles!" Lisanna giggled, patting his head and scratching behind his ears. That caused Boris to snuggled closer and he leaned against her chest, listening to her heart beat and tick of a clock. When he pulled back, he just stared at her chest, eyes widened. "Boris?"

"You're not a full Role Holder."

Her cheeks turned red and she fiddled with her hands. "Not yet anyway….I'm slowly becoming one though," she told him, looking up and finding the corners of his lips twitching into a frown.

"You should get back before the lizard hunts you down," he cleared his throat, opening the door for her. Her eyes flickered from his face towards the door before resting them back onto his.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe one day," Boris responded, removing his golden ear cuff from his ear and placing it in her hand. "Keep that to remember the super, fine as hell Cheshire cat."

Lisanna's hand closed around it and she nodded, giving him a small smile before stepping through the door. Immediately, she glanced back and found the door closed. She grasped the handle and threw it open, expecting to find Boris but was met with the familiar hallway of the tower.

She glanced at the ear cuff tucked away in her hand and smiled softly, pressing it to her lips before attaching it to her own ear.

_I'll definitely remember you, Boris Airay…_

* * *

_**Song: Ready Or Not by Bridgit Mendler or something….I dunno anymore.**_

_**So here's the latest chapter and finally! We meet Boris! God, he is so adorable…**_

_**Next is finally the move, so like three-four months after this chapter. I'm going to follow along with Clover no Kuni no Alice Cheshire Neko to Waltz but instead of Alice falling in love with Boris, it's going to be the Bloody Twins. Let me explain:**_

_**There have been several spin offs with Alice ending up with a different guy. I actually possess the manga of her with the Bloody Twins in Clover no Kuni no Alice and let me tell you, it's adorable.**_

_**So I'm going to go with that :)**_


	5. Chapter 4 - Rising Hope

**Chapter Four:**

**Rising Hope**

_**Roughly Four Months Later…**_

_She had been sitting in the garden back at the Prime Minister's estate, on a wooden bench when Nightmare had appeared._

"_Back here again?" Nightmare observed in disapproval but she ignored him. He often urged her to forget about her old life and move on with her new one. But it was hard; she was reminded of everything she lost._

"_I know you're not here to lecture me," Lisanna snapped, standing up and giving him a sharp glare for intruding in her only private area. Her bedroom would never be considered as private; maids having to come and go to dress her or Nightmare will barge in or Gray politely knocking on her door._

"_You're right, I wouldn't want to turn into Gray," the incubus visibly shuddered at the idea before turning serious. "We've just experienced a move."_

_The White Queen was familiar with the idea of a 'move'. Something that was totally different than moving houses in her old world. "Who moved here?"_

"_The Hatter Family and the Castle of Hearts."_

_Lisanna crossed her arms over her chest, hiding her thoughts as best as she could from Nightmare. Gray had pulled her aside and taught her this skill, not liking the idea of Nightmare being in her head._

I'm curious to see this Vivaldi, _she thought before nodding. "Okay, so why have you rudely barged into my dream? Surely there's more to it than just a heads up on the move."_

_Nightmare smirked, appreciating her wit. "You and I will be holding an assembly shortly. As the co-rulers of this country, it's part of the package of power. So wake up and join me in the preparation."_

"_You mean join Gray in the preparation whilst you hide."_

_Nightmare scowled at her lack of faith in him before disappearing._

**oOo**

Lisanna's eyes fluttered open and she sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The door to her bedroom opened and Melinda, her personal maid who had become a friend to her, entered.

"What's that?" Lisanna pointed to the dress in Melinda's hands.

"Your outfit for the assembly," she answered, smiling at her in greeting. "You are required to wear this whilst in the assembly. Lord Nightmare's orders."

_Of course it is, _she sighed, standing up and walking over, examining the dress closely.

It was a halter neck dress made of white Rayon challis fabric, floor length. Her back would be exposed, something she was not generally pleased with. It was a simple dress, no patterns or anything.

Seeing nothing else wrong with it, Lisanna allowed Melinda to dress her in it after a quick bath. Once the dress was on, Melinda wrapped a golden, metal belt just below her bust. It had two leaves on the end, meeting with each other. The personal maid then covered her small exposed back with some golden satin fabric.

"I like it better now," Lisanna nodded in approval as Melinda then moved onto her make-up. Applying a small amount, mascara, clear lip gloss and eyeliner; nothing too eccentric before moving onto the young queen's burgundy hair.

Melinda just simply placed it into a low bun whilst braiding two long strands of her hair from the front and adding them to the bun. The maid went to remove the ear cuff on the queen's ear but Lisanna stopped her.

"Leave it," Lisanna ordered her gently and Melinda nodded. "Am I presentable?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," Melinda bowed her head, smiling brightly at her accomplishment. Lisanna bowed her head in thanks before leaving her room after slipping on a pair of plain white ballet flats.

As she arrived at Nightmare's office, she could see it was chaos. Servants everywhere were running around, carrying stacks of paper as Gray was barking orders. Nightmare was nowhere to be seen amongst the mess.

Gray noticed Lisanna by the doorway and smiled in relief. "Lisanna, have you seen Lord Nightmare?"

"No, he had appeared in my dream informing me of the move," she answered, walking towards him as a faceless man handed her a piece of paper of her list of things required. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, my lady," he bowed before heading out of the room.

As her eyes read the words on the page, she noticed Gray staring at her. "Would you mind not staring? I already feel stupid in this dress that Nightmare prepared for me."

"You look beautiful," he informed her, frowning at her lack of confidence in her appearance. Lisanna scoffed, rolling her eyes before resuming back to her work.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Gray," she teased him, heading over to her desk to sign the small amount of papers on her desk, waiting for her attention. Unlike Nightmare, she breezed through her paperwork as Lisanna was used to this kind of line of work. "You better go find Nightmare."

Gray sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I suppose I should. Will you be able to handle things here and down at the hall?"

"Of course," she waved him off before returning to her work.

**oOo**

It had taken less than ten minutes for Gray to apprehend Nightmare and drag him back to the office.

"Gray!" Nightmare complained at his desk just as Lisanna finished her paperwork and stood up. Immediately, the incubus jumped on her for help. "Lisanna! Can you help me?"

"No," Lisanna responded bluntly, leaving the office and heading out of the building. She had yet to see the country after its move and was surprised to find the town busier than ever! It looked like a festival as people walked around in fancy clothes.

_Wow, it barely took them anytime. It's almost as if it were done instantly, _Lisanna's eyes widened in awe as she walked around before something caught her eye. She locked on a fight, two men single handily taking down a group of others with axes.

She narrowed her eyes as her jaw clenched. There was to be no violence while the assembly was taking place.

Holding out her hand, Lisanna encased all of their weapons in a violet energy shield and lifted them up into the air. It had taken two months for Nightmare and Gray to work out her talents and a month after to get the hang of them. Even now though, she still needs training.

"Oi! What happened to our weapons?" the long haired man cried out as the other faceless men noticed her standing a little further away.

"Your Majesty," they flinched, frightened as she walked closer, keeping the fields up.

"Might I remind you that we are now in an assembly? There is to be no violence," Lisanna declared, releasing their weapons and glaring at the two men who glared back at her, holding their axes close to their bodies.

It was then she saw the girl, a little younger than herself, standing off on the side. For some reason, in the back of her mind, Lisanna recognised her as the foreigner.

_So that's Alice…not as blonde as I had expected, _Lisanna figured as she heard another woman's voice call out Alice's name. Lisanna turned around and saw a beautiful woman with black hair walking towards them.

"You have worried us lately!" the woman cried out, walking past Lisanna and pulling Alice close. "You must visit the castle more."

"Sorry about that," Alice apologised as Lisanna stepped forward, smiling warmly at the brunette. Alice's eyes widened slightly, her cheeks turning slightly red.

"You must be Alice," Lisanna greeted politely, bowing her head slightly. "I've wanted to meet you for quite some time now."

Immediately, the two men stood closer to Alice, on guard as if she possessed some sort of threat to the young woman.

The woman raised a brow, the corners of her mouth twitching up into a smirk as she observed Lisanna. "Art thou the new White Queen?"

"Yes, I am Lisanna Halliwell," the young queen bowed her head. "And you must be the Red Queen, Vivaldi."

"You are not as old as we had expected."

"I'm glad to have exceeded your expectations of me then," Lisanna replied, her eyes flickering towards the two men. They looked alike, allowing her to come to the conclusion that they were Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.

_Not fat or ugly…they're actually quite handsome, _she thought just as one of the servants appeared behind her and bowed to her briefly before standing up straight.

"Your presence is required, my lady," the servant informed her and she waved her hand, acknowledging that she was aware of this before turning back to them.

"I look forward to seeing you all at the assembly," Lisanna politely bowed her head once more before focussing her attention on Alice who watched her. "If it is alright with you Alice, I would appreciate the company after the meeting today."

Alice blinked before nodding. "Uh sure, Your Majesty."

Lisanna smiled before turning on her heel and marching off towards the tower, following the servant. As she walked closer to the tower, she noticed more and more people with faces.

_Other Role Holders I suppose,_ she figured, spotting a man with white hair and rabbit ears. _The White Rabbit…._

That's when she saw a flash of pink in the corner of her eye and spun around, her eyes meeting familiar green ones. Straight away, Lisanna was grinning as Boris sauntered over to her.

"Boris, are you breaking the rules again?" she teased him and he chuckled at her jab at their previous meeting. The young queen couldn't help but noticed how the suit he wore made him appear sexier than before. In his punk outfit he seemed rebel-slacker hot. Now…clean cut sexy. It had her heart beating a little faster than normal.

"Nah, I was just evicted from the Amusement Park," he answered, his hands in his pockets as he smiled down at her before his eyes were drawn to her right ear.

Lisanna blushed a little reaching up to touch the ear cuff. "Did you want it back? Now that you're here and everything—"

"Keep it. It suits you…makes you seem more of a rebel queen," Boris lightly touched the cuff. He seemed to want to say something when there was a sudden shout a little further away.

Lisanna turned her gaze onto the same white rabbit from earlier and Alice, who narrowly dodged his pounce onto her.

"Who's that?" Lisanna questioned, her eyes watching as he began nagging a man with short brown hair and wore a red cloak, carrying a sword on his belt.

"The directionally challenged Ace and the perverted, psychotic Peter White," Boris answered bitterly, glaring at both of the men. "They both work under the Queen of Hearts, Vivaldi."

Lisanna just observed them carefully before the servant beside her urged her to continue walking.

"I have to go, but I'll see you in the assembly," Lisanna waved to Boris before continuing and entering the assembly hall. She was ushered into the marble throne next to Nightmare's less grand seat.

According to the incubus, the throne would be moved into her castle once it was finished being cleared out after years of abandonment.

"How was outside?" Gray asked her quietly, leaning down to murmur in her ear on her left.

"Only had to break off one fight between Tweedle Dee and Dum with some of the mafia here," Lisanna responded as more people pooled into the hall. "I met Alice though. She seemed nice from what I saw and spoke to. I've requested her presence after the assembly."

Gray nodded in approval, giving her a gentle smile. "A good idea. Lord Nightmare has told me she still struggles to let go of her old world. Something you two have in common."

"Gray! Why don't you treat me with the respect you give to Lisanna?" Nightmare complained, seeing the two of them so close.

"Do something that _merits_ the respect instead of abandoning it," Gray stated bluntly, causing the incubus to pout a little. However, he brightened a little once he saw Alice enter the room.

"Hello Alice," Nightmare greeted, smirking at her as the foreigner's eyes found them at the front. "And welcome to the Tower of Clover."

Alice's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Hey! You could look a little happier to see me!" the incubus exclaimed, immediately offended by the young brunette's reaction. Lisanna chuckled quietly from beside Nightmare whilst Gray coughed politely; trying to hide his amusement at the way Nightmare was being treated.

"I'm in charge here," Nightmare informed her in a matter of factly. "I am one of the leaders of this country and the head of this assembly. That's my role in the Country of Clover."

Lisanna tore her eyes away from the scene, even as Gray stepped in to assist Nightmare. She quietly observed and studied the Role Holders entering the room.

Her eyes met with a handsome man wearing a hat and carrying a cane. He smirked at her before politely tilting his hand towards her.

_He's got the hat, so he must be from the Hatter Family, _Lisanna realised, bowing her head politely towards him before continuing.

"Everyone settle down!" Gray barked across the large room as everyone finally arrived. "The assembly is about to begin! Please take your seats."

Once everyone had taken their seats, Nightmare sitting back beside Lisanna, Gray turned to Nightmare. "We'll begin with our hosts."

Nightmare stiffened immediately, standing up. "Uh…right. I'll read the introduction," he stated, standing up and grasping the script hard in his hands. As he shook slightly, Lisanna buried her face in her hands.

"Everyone is waiting. Just read the script," Gray whispered to Nightmare in between them.

Nightmare's face flushed red as he glared at the lizard. "Sh-Shut up! I can handle this! I'm powerful!"

"I know you are, sir. Just start reading from this line."

"I was about to!"

Nightmare continued to stammer, clearly becoming a nervous wreck when Gray shot her a pleading look. Sighing, she stood up and placed a hand on Nightmare's shoulder.

"I'll take it from here," she told the incubus quietly before turning to the expecting audience. "On behalf of Lord Nightmare and myself, I would like to thank you all for making the time out of your busy schedules to attend this assembly."

"As a reminder, there is to be no violence between the leaders under the duration of the assembly and I request for the leaders to control their subordinates and ensure they follow the same rule. This is a time for diplomacy, not violence and warfare."

**oOo**

"…And that concludes today's business. Thank you for your attendance and enjoy your stay here at the Tower of Clover," Lisanna ended the assembly as everyone stood up and began exiting the hall. She breathed out a sigh of relief, having the first assembly and official act as queen over and done with.

"You done well today, Lisanna," Gray smiled encouragingly at her and she beamed back at him.

"Thanks! I was nervous back there," she admitted, causing to Nightmare to grumble a little. "Nightmare, don't pout. It's unbecoming of you."

"I'm not pouting! I'm all powerful!" Nightmare disagreed, forcing the queen to roll her eyes and shake her head.

"I'm going to go find Alice now," Lisanna informed the lizard who seemed less than pleased with her going off without bodyguards. "Gray, I'll be fine."

"I insist you at least take two guards with you," he said and she sighed in defeat, agreeing to it. The young queen knew he meant well in regards to her safety, but it still annoyed her to no end.

Alice was waiting outside, talking to the twins, the hatter and a guy with bunny ears and orange hair.

_March Hare…I think,_ Lisanna figured as she calmly walked towards them, taking a few long strides. Alice noticed her and smiled, causing the men to turn around.

"Alice, thank you for waiting," Lisanna smiled before her eyes flickered towards the men. "You have my apologises as unfortunately, I am unaware of who you are."

"Blood Dupre, young queen," Blood introduced himself, tipping his hat slightly forward before gently grasping her hand. She watched as he brought it to his lips, laying a small kiss to her knuckles before releasing them. "You have my gratitude for ceasing the mess my gatekeepers were in earlier."

"Thank you Blood," Lisanna replied as the bunny eared man gave her a nod in acknowledgement. "I am Lisanna Halliwell."

"Elliot March, Your Majesty," Elliot jerked his thumb at the twins. "These two good for nothing gatekeepers are Dee and Dum."

"Shut up chicken rabbit!" Dee exclaimed as Dum glared at him. This set them off on an argument with many names being thrown into the mix. Besides her, Blood sighed in annoyance as Alice shook her head.

"I'll leave you to deal with this," Lisanna spoke to Blood as she noticed the two faceless men who were often assigned to her as bodyguards; Leonardo and Marcus. "Let's go Alice."

"Sure," Alice nodded, following her as the two women began walking away from the Hatter Family's scene.

* * *

___**Song: Rising Hope by LiSa**_

_**Well, here's another chapter done for you. Roughly sixteen pages I believe. Leave a review if you guys are enjoying this fic or not!**_

_**Note: All grammar like apologise, recognise and stuff are actually spelt correctly in the Australian English which is where I am from so no, they are not errors.**_


	6. Chapter 5 - The Start Of Something New

**Chapter Five:**

**Start Of Something New**

The city was filled with excitement at the assembly in progress. Whilst the leaders had to endure the boring political side of things, the people seemed to soak in the festival.

"How long will this be happening for?" Alice asked the young queen as the two women walked down the crowded street.

"Around three weeks is the estimated date," Lisanna answered her, smiling brightly as a people bowed, curtseyed or beamed at her. She waved at them, acknowledging their presence as they continued. "I hope it ends prematurely though."

"Why?"

"Because the longer this drags on, the more trigger-happy the mafia tends to be," she sighed tiredly, a small frown on her lips as she noticed a figure duck into an alleyway as they walked past. She stared as they walked past, her eyes filled with suspicion. "And that is something the people don't need."

Alice saw the deep concern the older woman held for the citizens of the Country of Clover and found herself admiring it. When comparing her to Vivaldi, Lisanna seemed more empathetic and passive against the Red Queen.

"Where are we going exactly?" Alice questioned as they turned a corner and onto a light grey concrete path with white lilies adorning the ground. "That's a lot of flowers."

"I thought so too but apparently they change to suit the Role Holder's taste. They were previously white roses with the queen before me and change to lilies for me," she explained, relying the same information Nightmare and Gray had given her upon her similar question. "We're heading to the Castle of Peace, my soon-to-be home."

"You're not living there yet?"

"No, it had to be cleaned in order for it to become habitable again," she responded as the golden, Victorian style gates came into view. A woman with sandy blonde hair, ice blue eyes and matching blonde rabbit ears appearing out of her head waited for them by the gates. She wore a simple white suit but instead of pants, it was a plain white skirt with matching pumps.

"Your Majesty," She bowed slightly before straightening up and smiling brightly. "I am your assistant and personal bodyguard starting today. My name is Sienna Gold."

Lisanna frowned slightly, a little surprised at the sudden development. "I was not aware of a personal bodyguard assigned to me. Who had hired you?"

"Nightmare, my lady."

_Of course he did….and she has a face so that makes her a Role Holder, _Lisanna figured, sighing slightly before smiling warmly at her newest employee. "Then it is a pleasure to work with you. Please take care of me."

"Of course," Sienna nodded firmly as the gates opened, allowing the three women to walk in. More flowers greeted them, this time it were jasmine flowers. "The palace will be liveable by the time the assembly ends, my lady."

"Will you accompany me to the assemblies then?"

"Yes, my lady."

As they walked along the light grey cobblestone path, Lisanna noticed many long and tall hedges connected together. Curiosity soon caught her as she paused and gestured to the object of interest.

"What is this?" she asked the rabbit who glanced at it.

"The Maze, my lady. Queen Esmeralda had built it for protection against invaders during the time of the Ten Year War," Sienna answered, giving a history lesson to both Lisanna and Alice who also seemed curious. "According to legend, the maze itself is alive with her magic. It will reveal the path to the queen only, whilst trapping enemies forever with no end in sight."

"That sounds horrible," Alice murmured quietly beside her and Lisanna couldn't help but agree.

"What exactly was the Ten Year War? I have heard of it many times," Lisanna addressed the question to Sienna who was writing something down on her clipboard.

"It was the war between the Castle of Peace and the Tower of Clover. Both the queen and the leader of the tower were in battle over territory. It went on for Ten Years and devastated the country."

Alice frowned slightly, glancing at the rabbit woman. "How did it end then?"

Sienna pursed her lips in thought, as if trying to recall the details. "I believe it was the leader's wife who had died of a sudden illness. Whilst he grieved, the mafia had tried to attack the Tower but the queen's army had defended it. From there, the war ended with the leader and the queen declaring themselves as co-rulers of the Country of Clover," she answered as she continued to walk.

Lisanna glanced at the maze once more, smelling the sudden scent of sweets before following after Sienna with Alice by her side. As they headed towards the castle, the two women talked about their lives on the surface world, where they currently were residing in Wonderland and what not.

"Wait, so Peter White _kidnapped_ you?" Lisanna questioned, an eyebrow raised as they walked through the front doors of the castle.

"Unfortunately," Alice shivered at the memory before shaking her head. "But it doesn't matter now. If he hadn't bought me here, then I wouldn't have met Blood and the others."

At the mention of the Hatter Family, Lisanna smirked at the smile on Alice's face. She knew that look; her friend Amanda wore the same one when she met her boyfriend and later married him.

"Who is the lucky man to have stolen your heart?" Lisanna teased and Alice blushed madly.

"What? I-I…." she fell silent, suddenly finding her hands more fascinating than anything else. After a few moments of silence, Lisanna looking ahead when the girl had not replied, Alice whispered softly, "The twins."

Lisanna's eyes widened in awe. "Wow, that must be a lot of work."

"Lisanna!"

The young queen threw her head back, laughing at Alice's embarrassment. Even Sienna found it amusing, but tried to cover her chuckle behind a slight cough.

**oOo**

_**Five Time Turns Later…**_

Lisanna watched with a slight frown at the sight before her in front of the assembly hall. Once again, it was the Bloody Twins engaging in a fight with the local mafia.

"Why do I feel like the two of them are glutton for punishment?" Lisanna sighed as Sienna wore an unimpressed look, her lips pursed together.

"Your Majesty, I recommend you allow me to handle the situation," Sienna advised the dark haired woman who strode towards them. "My lady!"

Lisanna ignored her bodyguard and went to raise her hand but a burning sensation hit her left arm. She cried out, clutching it as a wet liquid seeped through her fingertips. The young queen inspected it to find blood.

Sienna appeared in front of her, letting out a fury of shots from her silver handgun. A few men died instantly as the Bloody Twins fought off the rest and ended the fight quickly.

"You shouldn't be so reckless, my lady!" Sienna scolded the queen, her gun disappearing as she turned her attention to the bleeding wound on Lisanna's right arm. "The bullet just grazed you."

"Big sis!" Dee exclaimed in delight, running over to the blonde who began yelling at the boys reckless behavior. Lisanna watched them for a moment, seeing their carefree smiles despite the fight there were in moments before.

It honestly baffled her.

"My lady, we must see your wound tended to," Sienna insisted, pulling the dark haired woman's attention to her. Lisanna just nodded, following the rabbit inside.

Gray and Nightmare noticed immediately the bandage wrapped around her arm when she and Sienna arrived at the hall. Nightmare shot her a questioning look when she sat down but Lisanna waved it off.

"Shall we resume from where we left off yesterday?" Lisanna called, catching everyone's attention. She felt eyes on the bandage but ignored their stares and the slight, throbbing pain coming from her wound. She was a queen; there was no time to dwell on her injuries when she had a job to do.

**oOo**

Now she knew how Nightmare felt.

"Gray, I'm fine," Lisanna told the lizard for the seventh time as they walked down the hall, heading towards her room. "I'll have Sienna with me."

Gray didn't look convinced as they arrived at her room. Sienna opened it for her and the young woman stepped through, greeting Melinda with a warm smile.

"If it makes you so nervous at the idea of her going alone, then come with us," Sienna suggested, a little annoyed at herself for allowing the young queen to get shot in the first place.

Gray watched as Lisanna disappeared behind the screen, getting dressed into another dress. Yes, he was unimpressed with Sienna's lack of skill to protect Lisanna and part of him blamed her for the injury. But the other part of him knew how stubborn the young queen could be.

"You need to take some time off, Gray," Lisanna pipped up as she stepped out from behind the screen, wearing a white, linen knee length dress that covered her chest and back. A simple, golden, metal rose rested in the middle of her chest. The young queen smiled at him. "Take a break and join me in town."

Gray felt himself smile at her as well. "A break couldn't hurt, I suppose."


	7. Chapter 6 - This Will Be The Day, Mirror

**Chapter Six:**

**This Will Be The Day, Mirror**

_**Eight Time Turns Later…**_

_She stood alone on the glass platform, wearing nothing but a white silk gown with spaghetti straps that she usually wore for bed. Darkness surrounded her, with only a small golden circle of which she stood on was lit up._

"_Hello?" Lisanna called out, not seeing her usual dream scenery which was always back in the garden at the Prime Minister's Residence. For split second, she thought it was Nightmare gate crashing her dream. "Nightmare? If this is all you then it's not funny."_

_No sarcastic reply came for her._

"_Nightmare!" Lisanna shouted, growing annoyed with the incubus's antics when a soft glow caught the corner of her eye. Turning, she gazed as slowly, one by one, silver floor length mirrors appeared around her._

_Each one's frame was wrapped in rose vines and jasmine flowers in gold._

"_What's going on?" Lisanna murmured to herself, looking at each mirror as no reflection was held within._

_The one closest to north flashed violet rays and held an image of Lisanna in a large, white dress that flowed freely outwards. On top of the white material, was golden lilies that were engraved all the way up to the bodice; which was gold. Her arms were covered and so were her shoulders and neck, leaving only a large triangle shape of her chest above her breasts exposed. _

_Her brown hair was tied back into a tight, high bun with the sides of her hair raised slightly to firmly fit the golden kokoshnik, one that reminded her of Queen Alexandra's kokoshnik tiara. _

_Lisanna took a step back as her reflection's eyes snapped opened, no longer their usual blue but cognac instead with flecks of gold here and there._

"_**Mirror**__," Lisanna's reflection sang softly, her eyes boring into the real one. "__**Tell me something…**__"_

"_**Tell me who's the loneliest, of all**__?"_

_Lisanna's chest squeezed painfully, forcing her to gasp at the sudden loss of breath. She clutched it, leaning against the mirror behind her as the mirror on her right lit up, with another reflection._

_But this one was of her in the clothes she had died in._

"_**Mirror, tell me something, tell me who's the loneliest of all**__?" her modern reflection sang slightly louder as she shook her head, grunting in pain at the stabbing feeling in her heart._

"_Stop it!" Lisanna ordered, pushing past her queen reflection and running down a darkened glass pathway. Each step she took turned the floors white as the voices continued to sing out._

"_**Fear of what's inside of me; tell me can a heart be turned to stone**__?"_

_Lisanna tripped over her gown, landing chest first into the ground. She lifted herself onto her knees as more mirrors surrounded her; constantly staring at her as their voices grew louder._

"_**Mirror mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see**__."_

"_**I can keep it from the world, why won't you let me hide from me**__?"_

_Lisanna squeezed her eyes shut, covering her ears with her hands as she tried to block it all out. "Stop it!" she shouted, her heart pounding heavily in her chest._

_Her lip trembled, tears filling her eyes as she felt trapped. _

"_**Mirror mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see,**__" her reflections kept singing. _

"_Boris," Lisanna whimpered, falling into a fetal position on the ground, keeping her ears covered as best as she could. "Boris….help me…."_

"_**I can keep it from the world, why won't you let me hide from me**__?"_

_Arms engulf her body, pulling her close as the voices began to disappear. Lisanna's eyes opened slightly, keeping her ears covered as green eyes came into her view._

_His lips moved, speaking something but she didn't hear a thing. The young queen noticed his eyes narrowing behind her as she turned, seeing her two reflections, modern and queen, side by side, watching them intently._

"_**Mirror, tell me something, tell me who's the loneliest of all**__?" They sang together, reaching into each other's mirrors and holding hands. "__**Mirror mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see. I can keep it from the world, why won't you let me hide from me?**__"_

_Lisanna's eyes were covered by Boris's hands, his breath against her left ear._

"_Wake up," he whispered softly as her body slumped against his chest._

**oOo**

Lisanna's eyes flew open as she sat up straight, her body covered in cold sweat and shaking slightly. Her eyes instantly sought the mirror as she got out of bed and ran to it, finding her eyes their usual blue and not cognac.

Relief filled her as she rested her forehead against the cold glass, tears freely falling down her cheeks. Her hands clenched against the metal frame, still hearing the song in the back of her mind.

_Mirror, tell me something, tell me who's the loneliest of all?_

**oOo**

_**During the Next Assembly…**_

Usually she would have participated heavily within the discussions brought up in the assemblies, even pointed out a few of her own. But Lisanna was silent and only spoke up when needed to. Otherwise, her mind was a mile away from the court room.

_Last night was…intense, _Lisanna reflected and remembered Boris's appearance. Her eyes sought out his and found him watching her with a worried gaze as he laid back in his chair. _I wonder…he _did_ say Cheshire Cats could enter any domain…did he—_

Gray cleared his throat quietly behind her and she blinked, pulling herself out of her thoughts and releasing the meeting had come to an end. Quickly she rose to her feet, along with Nightmare and bowed her head.

"As always, thank you for your attendance. Our next meeting will be our last, therefore I hope you all receive sufficient rest as we slowly come to an end to the Assembly," Lisanna smiled politely as everyone rose to their feet and began filing out of the court room.

Feeling eyes on her, Lisanna glanced at Nightmare and found her co-ruler studying her intensively. "Must you keep staring?" she raised a brow.

"You're acting different today…which is odd," he frowned. "I don't like it."

She rolled her eyes. "There are many things you don't like and I honestly couldn't care."

"My lady, are you unwell?" Gray asked, concerned as he placed a hand on her forehead. Sienna cleared her throat, giving a look of thick disapproval at the lizard's touch. Realising his mistake, he removed his hand but kept the look.

"I'm tired, that's all," she answered, walking past and leaving the court room.

Many had still gathered around the hall, chatting amongst each other. As she strode past, many bowed their heads or to their waist in respect but she barely noticed. Her mind was heavy with thoughts of her dream….how real it had felt.

As she headed towards the staircase, deciding relaxing in the library might be good for her, a sharp pain in her chest exploded. Lisanna gasped, grasping her chest as her breath grew short and panted. It felt like the worse heart burn anyone could experience.

"_**Beware that the light is fading,**_" a deep, female voice called out. Lisanna leaned against the wall, slowly floundering up the staircase and onto the first floor. The sheer effort left Lisanna short of breath, gulping the air as best as she could as her chest continued to feel as if someone were stabbing it.

"_**Beware if the dark returns….This world is unforgiving…Even brilliant lights will cease to burn…**_."

Lisanna glanced at the window beside her, seeing emerald eyes staring back at her. They seemed old and yet, young…possessing knowledge that she could only imagine having herself.

"Lisanna?"

Her head snapped back towards the staircase, finding Boris running over. As soon as he reached out and grasped her arm, the pain ceased to exist. The young woman's breathing returned to normal as he narrowed his eyes.

"Boris," she swallowed, standing up straighter. "Is there something you need?"

He frowned. "I wanted to see if you were alright…you weren't participating in this stupid Assembly as you usually do—"

"This stupid Assembly as you see it; is an opportunity to resolve things in a diplomatic manner," Lisanna snapped at him, watching him look at her in surprise. "Without having to drag innocent lives into conflict!"

Boris took a step back, holding his hands up in surrender. "Don't get so worked up about it, geez!"

Lisanna's hands gripped the front of her dress, looking away in shame. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have snapped at you…I'm just tired…if you'll excuse me."

Boris opened his mouth to speak but she turned away and ran down the hallway without another word.

**oOo**

_She was back in the same room, but there was only one mirror in front of her. And instead of her reflection she stared at, it was a woman with dark skin and raven black hair that flowed freely down her side and back. She wore a simple, yet elegant medieval inspired white dress with long sleeves and her eyes were an emerald green._

_The woman smiled at her, studying Lisanna from head to toe before resuming eye contact. "You must be Lisanna Halliwell…the pathetic excuse of a successor I have ever seen."_

_Lisanna's hands clenched at her side. "Forgive me, but I have no clear idea of who you are."_

_Her eyes narrowed with unblinking focused eye contact as she raised her chin. "I am Queen Esmeralda, the last queen of this country for seventy years."_

_Lisanna recognised the name instantly, remembering the history lesson Sienna had given her on the Ten Year War. Indeed, Esmeralda seemed like a woman who was quick, decisive and powerful._

"_The game had chosen you, despite my opinion," Esmeralda sniffed, looking at her in disgust. "Which is why I am going to test you."_

"_I thought giving up on my old life would be enough," Lisanna crossed her arms over her chest and Esmeralda laughed, actually laughed at her!_

_The old queen looked at her in amusement. "My, you are nothing more than a child! What were they thinking? Making _you _my successor?"_

_Lisanna glared at her._

_Esmeralda's smirk turned into a sneer. "After all, you haven't truly become the queen…not with your heart still torn between your old world and your role."_

_Lisanna placed a hand over it, gazing at the floor. She knew the queen was right…but didn't want to admit it._

But I need to become the queen, _she thought before returning her gaze to Esmeralda's emerald ones. "You want to test me? So be it."_

_An enigmatic smile appeared on her lips as Esmeralda raised a brow. "You are either brave or truly foolish. Very well, you must go to this place," her image disappeared and was replaced with a crow's eye view of the maze back at the White Castle._

"_Alone," Esmeralda clarified as she reappeared. "If anyone were to follow you, they will meet a swift end."_

Lisanna's eyes snapped open as she sat up, finding it dark outside of her window. Without waiting a moment, she climbed out of bed and grabbed her golden coat, putting it on and her white ballet flats before rushing out of her bedroom.

_There's only way to get there without being discovered,_ Lisanna thought, heading towards the hall of doors kept within the tower. She had been there once, when Nightmare gave her a tour of the tower.

Silence had descended the tower as she quietly snuck down one flight of stairs from the floor her room and Nightmare's room resided in. Lisanna kept going, keeping cautious as to not run into anyone until she made it to the door.

Once there, she proceeded to open it and walk inside the large hallway filled with man doors of all shapes, sizes and materials. An oak door with a metal lily above it caught her attention and she walked towards it.

Reaching out, she grasped the door handle in between her fingers. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes briefly.

_Take me to the White Castle,_ Lisanna commanded in her mind, opening her eyes and the door, taking a step through without looking back.

**oOo**

Nightmare shot up in his seat instantly, sensing Lisanna's presence no longer within the tower. Gray noticed his master's sudden tense stance and frowned in concerned.

"What is it, Lord Nightmare?" Gray questioned, looking up from the book he was about to place within the large, black bookshelf.

"Lisanna's gone…she's no longer in the tower," he answered, placing his palms on his forehead. "I had sensed _her_ presence moments ago…blocking me from Lisanna's mind."

Gray's eyes widened. "Do you know where she's gone?" he questioned, clearly worried about the young queen. Especially since the cat had reported of her behaviour earlier and obvious pain he had witnessed.

Nightmare shook his head, narrowing his eyes as he stared at his desk. One person, however, came to mind. He knew this one individual would be able to track her down.

The door slammed open with a breathless cat glaring at him. "I know where she is but I need your help to get there."

**oOo**

Lisanna turned to the left sharply, tripping over her own feet and landing arms first into the gravel ground. Grunting, she quickly turned and held out a hand as a violet energy shield covered the gap.

The dragon, made out of vines, appeared from around the corner and glared at her, seeing its way blocked by her power. Keeping her hand out and gaze focused, Lisanna slowly rose to her feet and back away from the corner.

The hedges began forming a dead end where the dragon stood, covering its body and the shield. Swallowing, Lisanna turned away and began walking down the newly forged pathway.

That the was the third monster she had encountered within the maze ever since she started. It had been an hour into her test from Esmeralda and never had she felt more exhausted in her life.

Her arms were covered in scratches from the attack of the thorns. Some were deep and some were thin but both had resulted in blood being drawn. The night gown she wore was no longer floor length but up to her knees as it had been ripped when she got caught by the large falcon with large horns.

She turned another corner, finding it to be a dead end and sighed, turning back around to find another path.

All Esmeralda had said was to reach the middle. She made no mention of the physical dangers, monsters and even ghostly figures of her old life appearing every now and then.

"_**The maze will reveal its path to the queen of the castle**_," Esmeralda had spoken before disappearing into thin air.

Lisanna's knees buckled from exhaustion and she leaned against the hedge, falling to her knees with her hair falling across her face like a curtain.

_I'm so tired…._ She thought weakly, hearing the distant roar of the vine-made-dragon. Her eyes fluttered shut, feeling heavy as her conscious began to fade…

"Lisanna!"

_Boris? _Her eyes flickered open, expecting to see him but saw no sign of him.

"Lisanna!"

His voice sounded distant as she slowly raised her head. "Boris?" she murmured, hearing footsteps as he turned a corner, coming into her field of vision.

He was running desperately as the hedge behind him was trying to close, stopping him from coming any closer to her. Lisanna frowned, gripping the flora wall.

"Stop! Leave him alone!" she commanded, slowly climbing onto her feet. "I order you to stop!"

As if listening to her, the hedge stopped closing behind the cat as he pulled her into his arms when she was within an arm's length to him. He buried his nose in her hair, his tail snaking around to her waist.

"Don't disappear," he whispered hoarsely, catching her off guard as her eyes widened. "Don't ever disappear on me…got it?"

Lisanna was at a loss for words as he pulled back, cupping her face into his hands. Without missing a beat, the cat pressed his lips against her forehead and held it there for a few moments.

As if a fog lifting from her mind, the young queen felt her body and mind waking up, as if she had drank four cups of coffee.

"I'm sorry," Lisanna swallowed the lump in her throat, wrapping her arms around his back and burying her face in his chest. She laughed bitterly as they pulled away. "I feel like you're always saving me."

He smirked slightly, moving a strand of her hair behind her ear. "That's because I'm the super awesome Cheshire Cat, remember?" he lightly touched the cuff on her ear.

She blushed slightly before feeling a cold wave hit her spine. Turning around, she came face to face with her father.

He stood there, smiling sadly as he watched his daughter. She had ran into him a few times and always felt guilty for leaving the way she did in her old world. At one point, she even blamed him for her death but knew it wasn't true.

"Dad," she paused, stepping towards him. "You said I was always meant for something far greater than simply being your daughter."

He exhaled slowly, placing a hand in his pocket. "_Is this what you want?_"

Slowly, she nodded and he smiled warmly.

"_Then how could I ever be disappointed in you?_" he asked as tears filled her eyes. "_Having you as my daughter was the greatest thing I had ever accomplished."_

"I love you Dad," she told him and he beamed.

"_And I you, Anna,_" he stepped aside, revealing a path that led straight to the middle. "_Now go…make me proud."_

Lisanna took a few steps forward before breaking out into a full blown sprint, running towards the middle as he father disappeared. With each step she took, her heart felt lighter as all the doubts and conflicts she had held before left her.

In the middle of the maze, was a small Greek-styled white column with the same golden kokoshnik tiara she saw her reflection wearing. Reaching out, she grasped it within her hands and stared at it.

"If I put this on, I'll truly be the White Queen of Peace," she stated, looking at Boris who was watching her. "With this, I'll be accepting my role here…"

He didn't say anything as slowly, she raised it above her and gently placed it on top of her head.

Then came the white flames enveloping her body, entering her eyes, her skin, her bones, her _heart_. Instead of a burning sensation, it honestly felt like water being dumped onto her body.

"_**Welcome, at long last, Queen Orlá**_," a child-like voice whispered into her mind as the flames disappeared, bringing the reflection she had seen in the mirror of her dream to life.

She opened her eyes.

* * *

**Songs: Mirror Mirror and This Will Be The Day are both from RWBY Soundtrack. Great songs by the way.**

**So, Lisanna has finally accepted her new role and given up her old life. I felt like this chapter was dedicated to that important decision and some cute BorisxLisanna moments thrown in there :)**

**Now, regarding the name. It's Celtic for Golden Queen which is kinda suitable for her. I looked up and from what I could tell, I'm guessing the role holders, especially Blood and Vivaldi, had to change their identities upon becoming a role holder so that meant giving up on their old lives and it's my theory that they were given new names. Because honestly? What mother in their right mind would call their son Blood?**

**So I gave Lisanna one but I'm not sure if I'll keep calling her that. Maybe she'll be called it officially but keep her old name in the sake of friends and close ones...I dunno. **

**Anyway, enjoy and let me know how you found this chapter :D**


	8. Chapter 7 - One Last Time

**Chapter Seven:**

**One Last Time**

_**Roughly A Week Later…**_

It would take some time getting used to being addressed as Orlá, her 'official' name upon being crowned queen at her coronation. The experience was beyond a doubt, the strangest yet satisfying for her. Despite being unimpressed with Esmeralda and her test, it did give her the wakeup call she needed.

She couldn't become a recognised queen until she moved on.

Then came the coronation held at the Castle of Peace and life slowly became a routine. Alice and Boris often visited the castle; Alice using the grand library and Boris…Lisanna had no clue what Boris was there for. She somewhat slightly convinced herself it was her the Cheshire cat came to see.

"Your Majesty," Sienna called as Lisanna changed her dress for one suitable for going into town. "We'll be visiting Lord Nightmare for a discussion on the festival you wanted."

Lisanna nodded from behind the screen, changing into a white A-line dress made from double gauze fabric with golden flakes decorating the top and slowly fading out towards the bottom.

"After that you're due to have a tea party with Blood Dupree since you accepted his invitation," Sienna continued as Lisanna showed her assistant the dress and received a nod of approval. The blonde rabbit continued to list off her schedule as she grabbed a pair of ankle-strap cone heels that matched her dress.

She sat down as Melinda came and dressed her hair into a low bun and braid that seemed like a headband. At her request, Melinda was transferred to the castle and became her head maid. It was something the woman was happy about.

"And finally, one last meeting with Lord Nightmare about the mafia issue," Sienna concluded as Lisanna was finished changing and stood. Sienna smiled, lowering her clipboard as the two women left the castle.

On the way out, Lisanna asked a servant to remind Alice that she was due for work soon. Similar to Nightmare, Lisanna was aware of who was on the castle grounds. Her powers, she had discovered, were more psychic than the incubus.

However, there was one person she could never sense.

"Lisanna," Boris called as he stood at the gates, still wearing the suit from the assembly. Not that she was complaining. "Where are we off to today?"

Lisanna raised a brow, a small smile on her face. "We?" she asked as she came to a stop in front of him.

His hands were in his pockets, looking down at her as he was slightly taller than her in the heels she wore. "Alice is going to work right? And I thought it'd be fun to see what you get up to today."

"You saw me two time turns ago."

"Yeah but it was just paperwork."

She shook her head and gestured for them to walk forward. He grinned and held out his arm and she looped hers through it. Walking next to him with Sienna not far behind them, it felt nice.

_He's so warm_, she thought, feeling his body heat wrapping up her body. The scarf draped around his neck tickled her neck slightly as they ambled into town.

Townspeople either bowed or waved to the queen and she smiled back. As they passed a café, a waitress called out to her and she turned her eyes onto the woman.

"Your Majesty, will you drop by later for a chai latte?" the waitress asked and Lisanna beamed, nodding her head.

"The difference between you and Vivaldi is huge," Boris commented and she glanced up at him, frowning slightly.

"What makes you say that?" Lisanna asked, cocking her head to the side slightly.

"For one, you're not shoving cat food in my face," he answered dryly and she imagined piles upon piles of tin cans in front of Boris. The image made her giggle. "And the people actually _like_ you."

Lisanna thought about it as the Tower of Clover came into view. "Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them."

**oOo**

"—I believe that'll be all for today," Lisanna stated as they finished and Nightmare slumped forward on his desk. The familiar sight of piles of paperwork on his desk hadn't changed in the slightest.

"I can't _do_ this anymore! No more work!" Nightmare complained and Gray sighed tiredly, holding another stack in his arms.

"With all due respect, you wouldn't be _in_ this mess if you hadn't shirked your duties to shut yourself away in dreams," Gray lectured as Lisanna took a sip of her tea, watching in amusement. "This workload is a direct result of procrastination. Please continue _without_ complaint."

Nightmare groaned and glanced at Lisanna who was quietly sipping her tea. "Doesn't Lisanna have work to do too?"

"Her Majesty completes them on time, without delay," Sienna responded in a matter-of-fact. Nightmare just moaned and Lisanna shook her head at her co-leader.

He sat up, frowning a little. "I haven't spent time with Alice. She's always working or at your castle."

"She enjoys my library. That isn't a crime," Lisanna shrugged her shoulders but her eyes narrowed slightly. "However, I have noticed the Knight of Hearts seeming somewhat…obsessed with her. Is that normal?"

"The knight hates his role, which is an automatic draw to Alice. Outsiders can exists without roles for themselves," Nightmare answered, leaning his elbows on his desk and resting his chin on them. "But she can't save him from his duties, no matter how badly he wants her to. I really want to see how the game ends."

Gray clucked his tongue, disapproval clear on his face. "That is in poor taste. And isn't she here now because she _decided _to stay in our world, sir? I believe that counts as 'clearing this game.'"

"It's not that simple," Nightmare responded slyly. "And there's no need to rush."

Lisanna placed her tea cup down on the coffee table and rose from her seat. "She'll be fine since she is under Blood's protection. Drop by the castle later," she suggested, turning on her heel and heading out the door with Sienna trailing behind her as always.

**oOo**

"Your Majesty!"

The two women paused in mid-step, turning around and finding Alice jogging after them, a bright smile on her face. Not far behind was a bored looking Boris with his hands in his pockets.

"Alice, Boris," Lisanna greeted with a smile. "Are you finished with work?"

Alice nodded as Boris stood next to her. "Just a bit ago. I heard you're coming for a tea party."

"Yes, Blood invited me. Shall we walk back together?"

Alice opened her mouth to reply when suddenly both women were pushed back with Sienna and Boris guarding them. Sienna's gun was out and blocking a sword.

"Ace! What are you doing?" Alice exclaimed and Lisanna placed the young lady behind her.

"How dare you attack the queen!" Sienna spat and pushed him back, pointing her pistol at the Knight of Hearts.

"Aww, you're quick for a rabbit. Quicker than Peter," Ace noted in a relaxed tone before looking past Sienna. Boris stood closer to Lisanna, as if trying to hide her from Ace's sight. "I just want to speak to Alice."

"Please put your sword away," Lisanna requested kindly, stepping away from Boris and finding Ace staring at her. "There is no need for such action if you truly wish to speak with her."

Ace narrowed his eyes and faster than she could blink, was standing right in front of her with his sword raised. Before the queen could throw a shield up, two figures in suits blocked the sword with their axes.

"Dee! Dum!" Alice was surprised as Boris pulled them both back. Sienna, seeing the twins, took a step back and returned to her queen's side.

"Party time!" the Bloody twins exclaimed in delight, pushing the knight back and Ace glanced at his blade.

"Aw, my sword chirped," he complained, rubbing his thumb over the spot. "You guys can _bite_ when you get big."

"We wanted to break his stupid sword," Dee muttered as Lisanna heard footsteps behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes found Blood and Elliot joining them.

"Watch it, Knight of Hearts," Blood warned, placing a hand on Alice's shoulder as Elliot raised his gun. "I don't care about the toddler and the bunny. But the _ladies_ deserve a delicate touch."

"What the hell did you just call me?" Boris glared at the mafia boss as Sienna ignored the jab.

Ace just laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Easy guys! I'm not trying to be rough with Alice. I'm a knight and a gentlemen."

"Liar!" Dum shouted, keeping a firm grip on his axe.

"Yeah, bite me! You totally coulda hit big sis!" Dee agreed, glaring at the knight as Lisanna stared at him.

"Then why did you ignore my request to withdraw your blade? Why did you try to attack me?" Lisanna questioned as Ace sheathed his sword, shrugging his shoulders.

"I dunno, my hand slipped in surprise," Ace answered nonchalantly but she didn't believe him. She could sense the hatred Nightmare had mentioned earlier. It surrounded him, cloaking him and consuming him completely. "I'm sorry; I'll try not to get carried away next time."

"Leave before I shoot you," Sienna ordered, keeping her gun pointed at him. Ace ignored her and bowed to Lisanna before walking past. She observed him as he left; wondering what went on in that head of his.

"That jackass is dangerous. I don't get him at all," Boris muttered from beside her, also watching Ace leave before glancing down at her. "I'm glad I was here."

"Me too," she smiled as the twins jumped on Alice, hugging her close.

Blood turned to her. "Still in one piece, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, thank you for your assistance," Lisanna bowed her head as Sienna withdrew her gun, holding the usual clipboard.

Elliot shook his head in disgust. "How the hell could he just pull out a weapon?"

"That's something, coming from you," Boris commented in a deadpanned tone and Elliot narrowed his eyes. Before a fight between them could begin, Blood suggested that they escorted them back to his mansion for the tea party.

It was a nice change of pace, but throughout it, Boris seemed troubled. Lisanna was worried about him but didn't pry in case it was something personal.

**oOo**

_**Two Time Turns Later…**_

The stars shone brightly in the black sky above. Lisanna, unable to sleep due to troubled thoughts, sat in the marble white gazebo in the garden. Her eyes stared up at the tiny lights, as if searching for an answer among them.

_What Blood said disturbs me, _Lisanna rose and stepped closer towards the edge of the gazebo, leaning against the column. _The local mafia will grow bolder the longer the Hatter family remains in the Country of Clover. I need to keep the people safe. But how?_

"To save a life, you must take a life," she muttered quietly to herself, not liking the saying much. She was the physical representation of peace…she couldn't ever get her hands bloodied.

"Can't sleep?" warm arms wrapped themselves around her waist and her back was against something firm. "You looked cold."

"I'm wearing a dressing gown over it," Lisanna pointed out to the cat who didn't respond. Taking advantage of it, she leaned back and allowed him to placed his chin on top of her head. "Just thoughts about today."

At the mention of it, Boris's arms tightened their hold on her. "Thank god I was there…you could've been hurt."

"I'm fine Boris," she reassured him, turning around to face him and found his eyes focused on hers.

"That guy is a jackass…I'm worried he'll turn his attention onto you. I don't want you in any danger," he muttered tightly, burying his face in her dark curls that fell down her shoulder.

"I have Sienna with me at all times. And I'm not completely helpless you know," Lisanna reminded him, gently placing a hand on his cheek. If she still had a human heart, there was no doubt in her mind that it would have been beating fast at this moment.

"I don't care. I don't want you to ever disappear," he growled, lifting her chin with his chins. Lisanna's breath was caught in her throat, her eyes widened. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. She felt a shot of electricity run down her spine at the contact. Closing her eyes, the queen felt the softness and warmth of his lips.

All too soon, Boris pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. Lisanna opened her eyes and stared into his, her hands resting at her sides.

Boris chuckled darkly. "You keep making that cute face and I'm gonna get carried away," he warned her, his warm breath hitting her face. Her cheeks flushed and she looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

"Boris…why?" Lisanna swallowed, mustering the courage to look at him.

"Because I…" he paused and brought her closer, burying her face in his chest. "…I love you, Lisanna."

She froze at the confession, her eyes widened even more.

"I don't want to hand you over to anyone else."

"You've never said anything before. Why now?" she asked, leaning her ear to his chest and listening to the steady ticking of his clock. It soothed her for some reason.

"I wonder why? Maybe…after I saw the knight attack you…I'm feeling a bit rushed somehow," he answered fearfully, pressing her further into his chest as if she'd run from him. "I want you to be mine."

"Boris…" she was at a loss for words, instead, she held onto him tighter as it was the only way to convey her feelings.

"I don't wanna _force_ you or anything," he told her, pulling back and moving his hands to her wrists. "But I really want us to be together."

"I want that too," Lisanna confessed, glancing down at her hands. His large ones were firmly holding onto her wrists, as if they belonged there. She moved her hands until they were entwined with his. "If you still don't have anywhere to stay, you're more than welcome here."

Boris's tail twitched and he squeezed her hands before drawing her close, kissing her once more.

* * *

**Song: One Last Time by Ariana Grande**

**Here's the latest chapter! I sorta took a break from this story as my muse disappeared but got back into it about three hours ago and quickly wrote this chapter. **

**So they finally kissed...yay!**

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter~! I appreciate any comments given!**

**Also, I feel like I should change the rating from T to M since I plan for a few sexy times later on...I dunno. Maybe put a warning I guess?**


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